Suspected bandits on Wednesday attacked Iluke-Bunu Community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing three people during an attempted abduction of students sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Residents said the attackers, heavily armed and reportedly dressed in military uniforms, stormed the community around 10:00 a.m. on nearly 40 motorcycles.
The gunmen allegedly fired sporadically before advancing to Government Secondary School, Iluke, where the examination was taking place.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the assailants disrupted the examination and attempted to force some students into the bush. However, security operatives quickly intervened, preventing what could have become a large-scale kidnapping.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, the Kogi State Police Command confirmed receiving a distress call reporting that armed bandits had invaded the school and surrounding community with the intention of abducting students and residents.
According to the statement, the Divisional Police Officer of Kabba ‘A’ Division immediately mobilised officers from the division, operatives of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), and the Command’s Tactical Teams. Military personnel and local vigilantes already operating in the area also joined the operation.
The combined security team engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle, forcing them to retreat into nearby bushes.
Although authorities said there was no evidence of a successful mass abduction, the police confirmed that three persons lost their lives during the attack.
The victims were identified as Mr. Ganiyu Anifowose, Vice Principal of UBE Secondary/Primary School, Iluke; 70-year-old Mr. Sunday Jacob Alhassan; and six-year-old Sunday Ayele.
Police further disclosed that one of the attackers was killed during the exchange of gunfire, while a member of the joint security team sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving treatment.
The Commissioner of Police in Kogi State has directed sustained bush-combing operations and confidence-building patrols across the affected area.
Joint security personnel, including the police, military, and local vigilantes, have also intensified efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The Police Command expressed condolences to the families of the victims and urged residents to remain calm while continuing to provide useful information to security agencies.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government described the incident as a terrorist attack carried out by criminal elements disguised as soldiers.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the government praised the swift response and bravery of security operatives, saying their intervention prevented a devastating mass abduction.
The statement revealed that some students had already been marched into the bush before security personnel engaged the attackers in a fierce confrontation.
“Owing to the superior firepower, professionalism, and courage of the security agents, all the students were successfully rescued unharmed and returned to safety,” the statement read.
Fanwo added that several attackers escaped with gunshot wounds and that security agencies had launched a manhunt to arrest all those involved.
He commended the military, local vigilantes, hunters, and other security personnel whose efforts helped avert a major tragedy, assuring residents that the government was working with relevant agencies to strengthen security in the area.
“Kogi State will not submit to terror. Criminal elements seeking to undermine the peace and security of our State will continue to meet a determined, coordinated, and uncompromising response from security agencies and the Government,” the commissioner stated.
The state government also sympathised with the families of the victims and reaffirmed its support for the people of Iluke Community as efforts continue to restore peace and bring the perpetrators to justice.
